J plus J
by Vii Zee
Summary: A retelling of the story of Romeo and Juliet, set in Manchester, and told through the eyes of an impartial narrator, with Sophie Webster and Sian Powers being our main protagonists...
1. In the Seedy Streets of Manchester

_For ne'er was there a story of such sore regret  
Than that of Juliet and her sweet Juliet…_

Two families, both alike in dignity and money, in the dingy streets of Manchester, is where we begin our story. The aftermath of a fight, with motorcycles revving off into the distance, back to their headquarters, is where we meet the first of our protagonists. She sits to the side, on her own motorcycle, a cigarette pressed firmly between her index and thumb, sunglasses obscuring her eyes. Next to her, standing near the front of her metal beast, stands her best friend, a darker woman drinking from a small hip flask.

"The coppers won't take a second look at this once they realize it was us."

"O' course. We're too big in this city," our protagonist answers, shrugging and throwing the cigarette away, straddling the bike. She looked over at her companion and smiled. "Amber, hop on, we're outta here."

"Where are we going, Sophie?" Amber asked as she climbed onto the back of the bike, curling her arms around her best friend's leather jacket, holding on tightly as the motor purred gently beneath her.

"We'll see when we get there, yeah?" She revved the engine, kicked her feet off the floor, and sped off.

* * *

If you were to look through the window of this large, imposing house at five in the afternoon, every afternoon, you would find a young blonde, sitting alone at her desk with a notepad opened before her. She scribbles relentlessly into it every day. She is our second protagonist, the second part of the equation that has to make this story work.

Every day at five, Sian Powers, sits down to write for thirty minutes, escaping from her parents and their wrath. And lately, the pages have been filled with nothing but words of escape. Escape from her home, escape from Manchester, escape from most everything that seemed to cause her trouble lately. The words weren't neat, they just tumbled from her mind, straight through her arm, into the pen and – bam! – exploded onto the paper.

She was seldom interrupted, and she liked it that way-

"Miss Sian?"

Ah, spoke too soon.

"Yes, Sunita?"

She turned around to look at her maid (what a ridiculous notion – a personal maid in this day and age! Where her parents mental?) and smiled at her. She liked Sunita, she was young, sweet and kind, albeit rather gossipy. "What's wrong?"

"I just…I heard a rumor and I wanted to confirm it with you before it spreads too far…" she breathed out, sitting down on the bed, fanning herself. Sian frowned. Sunita wasn't one to break the rules of sitting on her mistress's bed, so this was definitely something important.

"Well…?" Sian prompted, and Sunita held up a single finger, staring at her with wide, curious eyes.

"Is it true you're to marry that Ryan fellow?"

* * *

Now that we've introduced our main characters, let me tell you a little bit about what's been happening here.

Nobody remembers what happened, but one day the Websters spurned the Powers, and this caused turmoil. The city was torn to shreds as gang wars erupted, people were being killed and weapons suddenly became a must-have. But really, if you had nothing to do with either family, you were safe. But if you were somehow a part of their gang, or even remotely related to them, you were in for a world of trouble, and a blade hidden in your boots became your best friend, and you definitely never left the house without at least a BB gun stowed away in your jacket.

Soon, an unspoken rule was developed, and they had to learn to distinguish innocent by standards to enemies. Nobody wanted to hurt somebody who was innocent, that would be wrong and immoral. It was only each other that they wanted to get to.

So the Powers wore red. Red bandanas became something common, tied around their arms like a band, or around their neck like the famed Spanish banditos, or around their head like a small hat, tied at the back. The women wore red ruby rings, right on the middle finger of their right hands, sporting it off to anyone who would see that they were dangerous, and they were proud of it. Only the closest family members got the largest rubies. The large the stone, the more important you were.

The larger the stone, the more of a beacon it appeared to your enemies.

The Websters played the same game, and the men started to sport a large black tattoo of a sun emblazoned on their shoulder. If there was any question, any argument, all they had to do was raise the sleeve of their shirt, and they regained their rightful respect. The woman, not to be out done, started to wear a single dragon earring, a dragon that curled from the lobe right up to the apex of their ears, with the head of the dragon resting neatly in the crook between the ear and the head, the tail inserted into the hole where any normal earring should go. The main family started to wear leather jackets, distinguishing themselves amongst their own, and becoming easy targets for those they wished to avoid.

Whether of the red-clad men, with the symbol of a golden star printed on the material of the bandana, or of the tattooed dragons who showed off the symbol of an eagle on their bags, vehicles and clothes, Manchester feared you, people avoided you, and you were in constant danger.

* * *

"You're losing your touch, Sophie!" James grinned as he parried yet another strike with the fencing foil and struck back, sending it flying clean out of her hands and clanging to the floor a few feet away. "What's happened to you?"

She ripped off her mask, brown hair tumbling out of its confines and being shaken by her angry head as she trudged off towards the bench, removing the boots first.

"I am just not in the mood, James." She looked up at her friend and shrugged. "Why couldn't we do something different like jogging today?"

"Because sparring is fun, and the Powers fight with knives. We're increasing your skill in hand to hand combat!" He swung his foil her way and winked before putting his mask back on. "Come on," his muffled voice came from behind the visor, "gimme your best shot!"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "We fight with guns. We're safer than they will ever be. One pull of a trigger and they're dead-"

"Unless you miss."

"Then why am I not in target practice?"

"Because today we're fencing. Now get back up and come at me!"

* * *

"Hello, Jason."

"Hi, Uncle," Jason smiled at him as he entered the Main House, looking around the room quickly. "Is Sian around?"

"Her room. Doing homework, or so she tells us," her father sighed as he moved away from the staircase, making room for his nephew to barge up the stairs and knock on his daughter's door. It was opened quickly, and Jason rushed into a hug from his baby cousin.

"You're back from the Maldives!"

"And I got you a present!" he grinned, producing a large half-shell from his pocket, big enough to take up almost his entire palm. It was a milky white, smooth texture and lined with chocolate brown lines along the inside. Sian almost squealed as she held it herself, running her thumb over the shell as she sat down on her bed. Jason sat with her watching her face light up.

"So, how's it going?" he asked her, trying to get her attention back at him. She shrugged and put the shell down next to her on the mattress, giving a slight frown as she turned her gaze to the floor.

"Dad wants me to marry Ryan Connor."

"You're joking!"

"Nope, he said that if I marry into that family then there'll be a better chance of help when the Websters come at us next time around."

"Sian that would have been the perfect time to tell him you were gay!"

"And risk getting kicked out? No chance!" she countered, springing off the bed and walking to her desk, sitting down on the edge of it. "I'll just meet him, talk to him…maybe he's a nice lad."

"The guy's an ass, Sian."

She shrugged and looked out of her window, unable to meet the eyes of her cousin and best friend. "It doesn't matter. I have to marry him, I've got no choice."

* * *

"Rosie!" Sophie called out into her empty home, sighing as she threw her keys into the small bowl near the door. "Ro-SIE!"

"I'm coming, Jesus! Keep your 'air on!" her older sister muttered as she ran down the stairs, arranging her very revealing shirt as she rushed down. "How do I look?"

"Like a tramp."

"Sophie! I mean it! I have a date with this lad from the garage who is totally hot, and I need to look good for him! So, does this dress make my ass look fat?"

"How should I know?" Sophie mumbled as she moved to their kitchen, switching the kettle on as she rummaged around for some mugs.

"Because you're a lesbian?"

"Rosie, that does not mean I check my sister out!"

Rosie rolled her eyes, giving a small 'tut' sound before moving to stand in front of her sister, leaning against the counter top. "So, tell me what's wrong. You usually come from your training sessions with James all happy and bouncy!"

"Not today I'm not."

"Oh, why not? Is it a bird?"

"Rosie-"

"I bet it is! Who is she? Do I know her? Does she go to school with you?"

"No, you don't know her and no, she doesn't."

"Then how do you know her?"

"Rosie, it's none of your business!" and with that, Sophie turned away, trying to hide her reddening face from her sister's inquisitive glares, but Rosie merely stomped over to her side and grinned devilishly.

"Sophie? Are you in love?" Rosie laughed, mentally smacking herself for not realizing sooner. It was so obvious! The tell tale glow in her eyes, the smile, the way she grinned every time they would mention particular places or things.

"I'm not in love."

Rosie frowned and sat down next to her sister on the sofa, lacing her arm around her in a one-armed hug. "Then what?"

"I'm out of love."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm in love with someone, she doesn't love me back."

"How are you so sure?"

"Well, she isn't gay, and we're not supposed to speak to each other anyways."

Rosie's mouth formed a small 'o' as she put the pieces together, putting an arm around her sister slowly. "She's a Powers?"

"Yeah, not part of the main family though. But still, just as bad."

"How are you so sure you love her?"

"I…I dunno," Sophie shrugged, turning to the kettle as it started to boil, pouring the water into her mug and stirring until the liquid turned brown. "But I need to find a way to forget about her."

For a few minutes they stood in silence as Sophie sipped at her tea, mulling over her thoughts. Rosie moved around the kitchen, arranging things in their place (as was her habit when she was trying to think) and then smiled as a thought popped into her head, one that would surely help her little sister.

"I know what'll cheer you up."

"What?"

Conspiratorially, she beckoned Sophie closer to her and whispered into her ear. "The Powers are having a party tomorrow night for their daughter's eighteenth birthday."

"So?"

"Sooo…let's crash it! You love crashing things, come on! We'll go with Amber and James, dress up all nice, sneak in and have some fun! Free drinks and food, come on Sophie!"

"What if Mum and Dad find out?"

"How will they unless we get caught? We'll be fine! It's a masquerade, their parties always are. We'll be hidden and no one will know who we are!"

"I might run into her…"

"But you might run into other people too!"

Rosie could see Sophie's mind work around the possibility of a night out, and of maybe being around plenty of beautiful people, enough that could make her forget about her inner turmoil. Rosie waited expectantly, giving her sister a little prod in the tummy when she didn't answer after a while.

"You can borrow my red dress if you like, the one that shows off your hips."

Sophie's eyes lit up, and she nodded.

"Well, what the hell then."

* * *

This simple decision for a night out, for the crashing of a party that they should not have been at, will bring the House of the Eagle and the House of the Star colliding together in a way that could never be forgotten or fixed.


	2. Masquerade

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

Amber, Rosie and Sophie snapped their masks on in unison, stepping forward towards the house. Their fear of there being bouncers was lifted when they noticed that it wasn't an invitation only party, just one that required them to be in the proper attire. They were inside in a flash, and Sophie found herself marvelling.

This wasn't the house that the main family lived in, that much was public knowledge. But this house was one of theirs – and it showed. It was magnificent, with red decorated everywhere and stars decorated into almost every little inlet. The main hall was crowded, and Sophie found herself trying very hard not to bump into people as she walked around. She grabbed a glass from a waiter walking around and downed it without giving herself the time to taste it. She winced as the taste of champagne hit her throat, and forced herself to swallow.

"Nice party."

"Yeah..."

"Sophie, you OK?"

"Yeah, I just need to go to the bathroom," she answered, feeling the gravity of the situation hit her. If they were caught, oh god if they were caught by either family...

She rushed towards the stairs in the hall, tripping up the stairs and emerging onto a barely-lit landing. She stumbled around in the semi-darkness of the corridor, feeling around for any sign that the next door was the bathroom, but she just couldn't find it. She had been going for what felt like hours when finally a small chink of light attracted her attention. She dove at it, but the door was open before she reached it, and out stepped a blonde.

She was dressed head to knee in red, her hair cascading around her shoulders, her face dolled up. She was stunning, and Sophie found herself stopping in her tracks and staring at her. The blonde stared too, suddenly realizing that she had company, and smiled.

"Hi."

"Hi…"

"You looking for something?"

"The bathroom."

"Down the hall, to the left. In fact, I should probably go myself before I go down there. Nervous wreck, I am."

"Why?" Sophie laughed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well, tonight I'm meeting my new husband to be, apparently, and I just…I just never met him before. I'm excited, I guess, to know what he's like." She rolled her eyes slightly, and Sophie gave a small giggle. She didn't look too excited about it. Maybe…

Oh dare she think it…

The blonde suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Sophie, suddenly realizing that she didn't really recognize her at all.

"I'm sorry…And you are?"

Sophie pointed at the earring on her left ear, the dragon curling around the outer part of her lobe, the head resting on the top of her ear. "Is that really not enough for you to tell?"

The mysterious blonde gave a sharp laugh and shrugged. "What are you doin' here?"

"I thought my invitation had gotten lost, so I came along anyways. Not one to miss a great party, me. Anyways, who are you?"

"Really?" It was the blonde's turn to point at her right hand, the large ruby ring glinting in the dim light. "Is that not enough for ya?"

Sophie froze slightly, staring at the other girl, her jaw clenching. "You're-"

"The birthday girl, yeah. And you're the Webster girl, youngest of the lot I presume."

"I didn't mean to just barge in like this, you know," Sophie tried to justify herself, stumbling forward slightly and smiling at the other girl. "I just really thought it would be fun at a party, you know? Haven't been to one in ages."

"It's alright, I won't kick you out. You seem alright…"

"So, happy birthday, I guess."

The girl laughed and winked at her. "Thanks. Enjoy the party."

"Wait…what's your name?" Sophie asked her, rushing forward again as she started to walk away, grabbing her wrist and pressing slightly.

The blonde turned to face her, their eyes meeting for a split second before both looked away, breaking the silent electricity.

"Sian. And you are?"

"Sophie."

"Well…I'll…uh…"

"Sian!?" they heard, and Sophie glided backwards, into the shadow of a doorway, and watched as Sian was led away but what she assumed was her brother. She watched her walk away, down the stairs and into the hall where the party was being held, and she found herself frozen in place, her mind racing with images of her inevitable self destruction.

-0-

"Sian Powers," he smiled at her, and she felt herself be slightly charmed by it. She extended her hand and he took it, rising it to his lips and smiling as he gave the skin on her knuckles a light peck.

"Ryan-"

"I know," she stopped him. "I'm happy to finally meet you."

"You're more beautiful in person," he muttered as he led her away from the stairs and into the throng of the party, and she found herself scanning the crowd for the girl she had seen earlier. She saw her run up to two figures and talk to them before turning around, looking straight at her.

Suddenly, nothing seemed more important than the gaze she bestowed upon her, not even Ryan's charming smile…


End file.
